Vladimir Putin makes his WWE debut at ‘Extreme Rules’

WWE’s “Extreme Rules” pay-per-view proved to be, well, extreme. Kane, aka “the devil’s favorite demon,” fell through a table lit on fire, and Bray Wyatt introduced “Little Johnny,” a creepster of a kid with the electronically altered voice of man. But the most extreme bit that happened during Sunday’s three-hour broadcast may have been when Russia President Vladimir Putin’s face splashed across the Titantron.

Was this CNN or the WWE Network? Who cares. It was awesome. This next-level geopolitical trolling came from Lana, “the Ravishing Russian,” who dedicated the match of her client, the giant Bulgarian Rusev, to the much-maligned Russian president. She used the kind of melodramatic language that makes pro wrestling more than a display of athleticism, but a full theatrical production.

The above clip is hard to hear, but here’s what Lana, embodied by American model and actress C.J. Perry, said:

“Tonight we dedicate this match to the man that makes fools out of all you Americans; tonight we dedicate this match to the man that I respect more than any other man; He is my role model; he is my idol — the president of Russia!”

That’s when Putin’s expressionless, larger-than-life visage appeared and Big-Brothered the arena, which echoed with an impressive chorus of boos. That heat would continue as Rusev, now a resident of Russia, according to the story line, went on to crush his opponents, R-Truth and Xavier Woods.

The match, however, won’t be what this night will be remembered for. It’s Putin, the WWE’s best new heel.